It is important to note that “pre-composting” has different definitions in the public domain. For the purposes of the present invention pre-composting means shredding, cutting, mashing and/or other similar means of lowering the volume and/or increasing the surface area, of organic kitchen scraps. A smaller volume of garbage is typically easier to transport. An increased surface area of organic matter typically decomposes in a notable shorter period of time. Such decomposition may be utilized for the generation of methane and/or may be for composting purposes wherein the byproduct is a soil amendment.
The background of the invention is in one respect extensive and in another limited. Composting organic material has been done for centuries wherein a soil amendment is derived from the composting process. The soil amendment may vary depending upon the time and extent of decomposition the organic material has undergone.
Recently backyard or even in-house composting containers have been made and sold to facilitate home composting. These are designed to receive organic materials and over time decomposition thereof, and with some containers means by which the materials may be rotated by the container, render a soil amendment.
The rate of decomposition of the organic material will vary depending upon a number of factors well known in the art. Regardless, the rate of decomposition will be lowered, and under many circumstances lowered significantly, if the surface area of the organic material is increased.
General awareness of human impact of the environment has become acute. Composting organic material by individual households has a number of environmental benefits well-known in the art. As of late, an environmental desire to merely lower the volume and/or weight of the garbage has been identified as such a benefit.
The containers and products on the market related to composting do not include a product designed specifically to lower the volume and/or weight of organic material handled by garbage pick-up services and/or increasing the surface are of organic materials to expedite the decomposition process. In this respect, the subject invention relates to a new product concept which does not have a background which includes similar products with such product goals.